I Lose Myself With You
by NaviraDreams
Summary: Daphne and Noah have a conversation during the tolerance retreat and start getting closer to each other, making their lives take a different turn (than the writers had for them). (A/N: I have loved these two together from Noah's very first scene. So this is how I would have liked the show to go. But it's orientated on the show's progress.) *Hiatus ATM*
1. Tolerance Retreat

I Lose Myself With You

Daphne was sitting on the picnic table thinking about what her mother had just told her. Regina would never be able to sign to her again. How could that be? It was just unimaginable for Daphne.

Suddenly someone touched her arm, making Daphne jump in surprise. "I'm sorry… I… haven't figured out how to do that without… scaring someone… who can't hear me coming," the blonde, Noah, apologized. His signing was pretty bad. But at least he could still sign. "It's okay," Daphne replied. "Are you okay?" Daphne looked up at Noah, "Can I help?" "Not unless you're a wizard or a magician," she answered, trying to stay strong. "I don't think so. But… Harry Potter didn't find out he was a wizard until he was like fifteen, so there's a chance," Noah tried to cheer the redhead up. "Eleven," Daphne corrected him. "Huh?" "Harry Potter was eleven when he found out that he was a wizard," Daphne explained. "Ah, right, my bad." Noah smiled and they looked at each other for a moment. Then Noah shifted his gaze to the ground for a second.

"I just found out that my mom can't sign to me ever again," Daphne then told him, not really sure why, "She has some weird physical thing messing up her hands." Noah didn't know what to say. He could relate to that, at least kind of.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "You're not deaf," Daphne reckoned, "You don't get it. You have no idea how exhausting it is to have to read lips all the time. Imagine you found out that your parents could never speak to you with their voice ever again." Noah had to laugh at the irony of what the girl had just said. "I'm imagining," he choked out, "If it… makes you feel any better, she's probably a million times madder that you are. It sucks to feel like your body's betraying you," Noah paused, making Daphne think, "See you… back at camp?"

Daphne nodded just slightly and Noah turned to leave. But he stopped after a few steps and turned back around to look at the girl on the verge of tears. "Daphne…" he whispered, very well aware that she couldn't hear him. Yet she turned her head to look at him. "Noah, wait," she said, "I'm sorry." "No, it's alright" he replied, taking a few steps towards her and sitting on the table next to her, "It might not be the same… but I can imagine what you're going through." "How?" There were so many emotions running through Daphne. Sadness. Disappointment. Confusion. And also a little curiosity.

Noah took a deep breath. Daphne could still read his lips, but he didn't look at her when he started talking again, "I… have this condition… It's called Ménière's disease. It gives me… like dizzy spells… and messes with my hearing. Right now it's only temporary, but…someday, maybe soon, I might lose my hearing completely…" Daphne was speechless. She felt like a jerk after what she had said to him earlier. "I'm so sorry." "Don't be. It's not your fault." Noah shrugged it off so easily, but Daphne could clearly see how upset and confused he was. This uncertainty was eating away at him. Daphne put a hand on Noah's shoulder and he looked at her. "Looks like we're in the same boat, kind of," she said, trying to lighten the mood a little. Noah gave her a small laugh. "Yeah."

They both fell silent and just sat there, feeling a little bit better in each other's company.


	2. Family Troubles

2x04 – Dressing for a Charade

After the retreat everything seemed to get back to normal again somehow. Daphne worried about her friend Travis, wondering if he really was alright with his situation. But Travis didn't want to accept her help, he refused to even really talk about it. And asking Bay for advice wasn't productive either. So Daphne only saw one other option at the moment: talking to Travis' mom.

But what she had to say surprised the redhead. "He's the one that's threatening to move out."

Daphne wasn't sure what she should think about that. Why would Travis say that his family was kicking him out? If they weren't, he'd only have to make a little effort to stay and he could. Even if the situation was bad, he could still have a home. And that's what Daphne talked about with Bay, but they came to the same conclusion as before: Travis wouldn't accept the offer to stay with the Kennish's even though that would be the best option for him.

"Because he likes you," Bay then said. "Ugh, no," Daphne objected, not really believing her. "Okay, I'm just gonna ask, do you like him?" Bay looked at the deaf girl expectantly. "No," Daphne replied immediately. "Really? You're not into deaf Matt Damon?" the dark haired girl didn't seem to believe her, "Not even a little bit?" "No," Daphne repeated. And she was sure about that. "Good. Because I have been hooking up with him for, uff, last month." Daphne mustered Bay skeptically. "Really? Well, as long as you're happy…" "No, not really. I just wanted to see your reaction. Looks like you're really not into him." "Thought so," Daphne smiled. "So if you're not into Travis, then who are you into?" Bay asked. "No one," the redhead answered. "Really?" "Yes."

Daphne then turned back to shooting baskets. She really didn't want to talk about who she liked or not. Because she didn't know herself. Ever since that evening at the retreat when she talked to Noah about her mom and he told her about himself, Daphne couldn't help but think about him sometimes. But there's no way she liked him like that. They were just friends.

To take her mind off of stupid thoughts like that, Daphne started her Deaf Studies paper. Thinking about Noah any more would only make her head hurt. But suddenly Travis turned up at her door. "You went to see my mom?" he asked and Daphne explained what happened and what his mom had told her. But Travis wouldn't accept that he could make his life at home easier, if he'd just make a little effort.

But in the middle of their fight Daphne got a text from Kathryn. A guy from Immigration was at the house. She needed to hide all her mom's stuff. "What's going on?" Travis wanted to know. Daphne briefly explained and got Travis to help her.

But they weren't nearly finished when the doorbell rang. Still Daphne had to open the door and let the Immigration's guy in. But when they got to her mom's room, they found Travis with only a towel. That was a weird, yet a great way to get the guy back out of the house.

"You were awesome. Thank you," Daphne said after Travis had come into the kitchen fully clothed again, "You saved my mom." "I don't know if I 'saved' her. But you're welcome," Travis replied. Daphne thanked him again and somehow the topic changed to Travis trying to make an effort to stay home again. But it didn't look like there was anything that could be done to change Travis' or his mom's mind.

"Let's clean up your mom's room," Travis suggested at some point. "No," Daphne retorted, "It's her mess, she should clean it up." "Alright… then… I'll get going." Travis hesitated but Daphne didn't seem to notice. "Okay, see you in school." She smiled and walked Travis to the door. He hesitated again before walking down the stairs, which Daphne noticed this time, but she didn't want to give it any meaning. So she just waved and closed the door after Travis had left. After all, there was a Deaf Studies paper that needed to be written.


	3. One-on-One

2x05 – The Acquired Inability To Escape

Daphne tried to avoid Travis in school, but in vain. He caught her right before class. After Travis left last night, Daphne remembered what Bay had said to her earlier that day. And Daphne realized that Bay had been right. Travis probably was into her. But Daphne didn't like him that way. He was a great friend but nothing more than that.

When Travis started talking about Daphne's food truck everything still seemed fine, but then he asked when she was taking it out again, offering to help, and Daphne got uncomfortable. It seemed like he was asking for a date. But luckily for Daphne the teacher came in before she had to say anything.

And when she told Emmett about Travis, he only laughed at her. "And you're not interested?" he asked. "No," Daphne replied. "Oh, right. You only date hearing guys." "What?" Daphne looked at her best friend surprised and maybe even a little offended. "That's not true," she objected. "Liam. Wilke. That chef guy. Travis," Emmett listed, "Which one of these is not like the others?" "That's just a coincidence." But Daphne could see that Emmett had a point. All her boyfriends had been hearing. And Noah was hearing as well… She quickly dismissed that thought and walked to her next classroom.

A while later when Daphne was walking through a hallway, someone came up to her. "Hey," Noah greeted her with a smile. "Hey there," Daphne returned the smile. "I… I heard… that you play," the blonde boy gestured to the basketball in his hands, "And I started a little pick-up game at lunch. So you should join." "Uh, I really haven't played much since they cut our basketball team," Daphne told him. "Oh well, you know what, if you can dribble and you can shoot, you're gonna be the MVP of this team, promise." They both started laughing. It was so easy for Daphne to get along with Noah. He was a really great guy. "So it looks like you're starting to feel at home here?" Daphne then asked, genuinely interested. "Hey, you know, when life gives you lemons," Noah replied. "Wait, ey, we're not lemons," Daphne said, acting insulted. "Bad choice of words, bad ASL," Noah laughed, making Daphne laugh as well, "Stupid expression anyway, you know, since I don't even like lemonade or lemons." "Oh, too bad, because my lemonade is awesome." Daphne and Noah shared a laugh again. They just seemed to be on the same wavelength.

But then Daphne noticed the look Emmett was giving her. It was like he was saying 'I told you so.' "Hey man," Noah said to him and then turned his attention back to Daphne, "So, um. No lunch time moves. What about a little one-on-one after school maybe?" Noah suggested. Emmett gave Daphne another look. "See? Another hearing guy," he said. And she didn't want to let him be right. "Actually, I have plans after school today, I'm taking out my food truck," Daphne declined Noah's request. "Alright…" Noah averted his eyes.

And because it was time for class Daphne left with Emmett. She felt kind of bad for declining Noah like that. So when she saw him in the hall after class, she approached him. "Hey," she said and Noah turned to her, "I remembered that I can't take out the truck today… So if you still want to, we could do that one-on-one after school." "Yea, sure," Noah's face lit up, "That's be great. Courtyard after class?" "Okay," the redhead nodded smiling. Daphne felt a lot better. And she was already looking forward to playing basketball with Noah.

It seemed like an eternity until class was finally over. When Daphne got to the courtyard, Noah was already there. "You ready?" he greeted her. "Bring it on," Daphne replied challenging. "But I have to warn you, I'm terrible," Noah smiled cheekily and Daphne laughed.

They had a lot of fun playing together. Noah wasn't as bad as he said he was, but as a trained basketball player, Daphne held the advantage. Still, the afternoon was filled with laughter. It felt like an eternity for Daphne since she has had this much fun. "Okay, I'm beat… You win," Noah huffed, breathing heavily. "Yes!" Daphne grinned in triumph, even though it had been obvious that she would win. "Wanna go get something to drink?" Noah suggested and the redhead agreed.

Noah and Daphne really got along well. It felt like they could talk about anything. But it got late way too soon and they had to part. "Let's do this again sometime," Noah said before he left. "I'll look forward to that," Daphne mumbled to herself, knowing that he couldn't hear her.

This was supposed to be longer, but I got a lot to do right now, so I'm cutting this chapter in half. I don't know when I'll have the time to write the next chapter, it won't be anytime soon. I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting so long, and I'm thankful to everyone who is patient with me, but I'm really busy and distracted at the moment.


End file.
